The Door Opened in Heaven

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Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time Revelation 4:1–11

Saint John sees an open door in heaven.

A voice says to him:

Come up here.

And suddenly,

he is drawn into the worship of heaven.

He sees a throne.

He sees the One seated on the throne.

He sees elders.

He sees living creatures.

He hears praise.

He sees heaven as liturgy.

At the center of all things,

There is

God is seated on the throne.

He is Lord of creation.

He is Lord of history.

He is Lord of the future.

Around the throne,

all creation worships.

The four living creatures cry out:

Holy,

holy,

Lord God almighty,

who was,

and who is,

and who is to come.

The twenty-four elders fall down before Him.

They cast their crowns before the throne.

They praise God because He created all things.

Everything exists

because God willed it into being.

This vision helps us understand the Mass.

When we celebrate the Eucharist,

we do not only gather in a church building.

We are drawn into the worship of heaven.

The altar on earth

is mysteriously joined

to the throne of God.

The angels worship.

The saints worship.

The Church on earth worships with them.

When we sing,

Holy,

holy,

we are not inventing our own words.

We are joining the song of heaven.

This should change the way we come to Mass.

We do not come only to fulfill a duty.

We do not come only to listen.

We do not come only to ask for help.

We come to worship.

We come before the throne of God.

We come before the Lamb.

Saint John tries to describe the One seated on the throne.

But words fail him.

He speaks of precious stones,

of light,

of splendor,

of a rainbow around the throne.

But even these images cannot fully say who God is.

Human words are too small

for the mystery of God.

And yet, one image gives us hope.

Around the throne there is a rainbow.

The rainbow reminds us of God’s covenant after the flood.

It reminds us of mercy.

It reminds us that God does not forget His promise.

The One seated on the throne

is almighty.

He is holy.

He is faithful.

He is beyond words.

This vision opens the rest of Revelation.

There will be conflict.

There will be judgment.

There will be darkness.

There will be battle.

But before all of that,

there is the throne.

Before evil is judged,

God is worshipped.

Before history reaches its end,

heaven is already singing.

This is our consolation.

The world may look confused.

The future may look uncertain.

Evil may look powerful.

But the throne is not empty.

God reigns.

His plan cannot be destroyed.

So today,

let us lift our eyes.

Let us learn again to worship.

Let us enter the Mass with faith.

For whenever the Church worships on earth,

the door of heaven is open.

Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Mark

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New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Mark

Scripture Attribution

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